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Four people were killed in a large explosion in the port city of Jaffa that also led to the collapse of a building, Israeli police said on Tuesday.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said an investigation was under way to discover the cause of the large explosion late on Monday. An emergency team discovered four people dead under the rubble, he said, while five others were taken to a hospital.

Local media reports said the explosion look place at a store for construction material in the Ajami neighborhood of Jaffa, south of Tel Aviv, and was likely caused by an electrical short and gas leak.

Residents described a huge blast that led to initial fears of a militant attack. Large plumes of smoke billowed above the neighborhood before firefighters put out the blaze.